While it’s the most wonderful time of the year, we are less than 7 months away from the ‘nerdiest’ time of the year. While vision of sugar plums dance in the heads of the rest of the world, vision of cosplay and panels fill the hearts and minds of Comic-Con fanatics. This is a quiet time of the year and it’s easy to be unsure if you are adequately prepared for SDCC. So for you first timers, here are a few ways to prepare for San Diego Comic-Con 2015.

Mark Your Calendar!
This year show is a little earlier than normal- July 9-12 with Preview Night being July 8. You will be allowed to buy one day or multiple days- last year the ‘4-day Badge’ was not an option. If you are new and don’t know what Preview Night is, don’t worry, I will cover that when it’s time.

When is the Badge Sales?
A natural first question is, how do I get a ticket? In the world of Comic-Con, tickets are referred to as ‘badges’ because of SDCC’s non-profit status. Badges are obtained by first getting a Member ID– then you will be notified by e-mail when you can purchase a badge online. Referred to as ‘Open Registration’, this will probably happen sometime in early 2015. Pre-registration already occurred leaving a percentage of the overall amount of badges. Because of this, statistically it’s difficult to get a badge given the demand so mentally prepare yourself. Note the pricing below:

Can I Apply for Press?
The deadline to register as Press has already passed and there usually is not a second chance to register. Note that approval notifications don’t happen till Spring or early summer so if you have not been approved then it would be safest to attempt to buy a regular attendee badge just in case.

Why Volunteer?Volunteering is a different but awesome way to experience the show. Thousands of volunteers are utilized every year to make the con possible. From a few hours to all day, there are different ways to donate your time. Besides the fact that it provides a day pass as your reward, it’s cool to be a part of the behind-the-scenes experience of Comic-Con. I’ve worked with the volunteers before in different aspects of the show and they are some of the most dedicated and thoughtful nerds you’ll ever meet. Note that demand is also high since so many volunteers return each year. Check website for more info.

When Should I Get a Hotel?If you have never been to SDCC before, you may be wondering why you currently can’t get reservations at any of the adjacent hotels to the convention center. Comic-Con reserves a huge block of hotels at a discounted rate for the 2015 show. The hotel sale usually happens after the regular attendee sale sometime in Spring. If you are as paranoid and a control freak like myself, you will probably want to go reserve a hotel room that is farther out. Then you will have a back up plan if you get shut out of the Comic-Con hotel lottery. If you do, make sure it has a free cancelation policy so you don’t get stuck with extra fees.

Cosplay: Do or do not, there is not try…7 months seems like a long time but it will fly by before you know it. If you are new to ‘cosplay’ (costume play) it can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be. Comic-Con is the Super Bowl for these artists and they display their best work of the year. The creativity is unparalleled and it’s one of my favorite aspects of the show. So if you are interested, then I would start work on your costume leaving yourself plenty of room for iteration and upgrading.

Hope these tips help you prepare- and more to come! For more help check out the Toucan Blog, the official blog of Comic-Con International.

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2 thoughts on “Tip of the Day #2: 7 Months for San Diego Comic-Con and Counting…”

Cool advice dude. Just wondering if you ever combined a family vacation with sdcc. I’m thinking legoland with my two kids under six years and stay an extra week? Your thoughts would be appreciated brother. Bruce

Yea, i know a lot of people that combine a family vacation with Comic-Con. There is also Sea World and Disneyland in Anaheim. SDCC is a pretty exhausting experience so be careful not to over do it. Let me know if you have a specific question. Thanks and best of luck!